Container



May W, l938- J. M. HOTHERSALL. 2,117,324

CONTAINER Filed Dec. 11, 1,955

EN l?? ATTORNEY Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT `OFFICECONTAINER Application December 11, 1935, Serial No. 53,973

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a sheet metal container or can adaptedto be opened by the removal of a tearing strip which is formed in a wallof a folded collar band section of the body 5 and has` particularreference to a can having a flange member secured in place within theseam joining the body to its top so that removal of the tearing stripproduces a reclosure cover having Vthe flange member embodied in thecover l this flange being adapted to frictionally engage the collar bandof the can.

An object of the invention is the provision of a container having atearing stripformed in a folded collar band section of the body andhaving l a ilange member secured in place within the seam uniting thebody to its top wherein removal of the tearing strip produces areclosure cover having a flange adapted to utilize the collar band as afriction base for holding the cover in place on 2o the container when itis used as a reclosure.

Another object is the provision of such a container wherein the flangemember is formed from the material of the container body by folding thebody wall back on itself and into engagement with the collar band, thefolded flange member being incorporated in the seam uniting the body toits top so that removal of the tearing strip leaves the flange memberconnected with the can top to produce the desired flanged reclosurecover, 30 thereby making it possible to use the same simple form of canends for both top and bottom instead of a different and more expensivespecial can top having the required flange wall formed therein and whichwould require more tin plate and would result in a greater waste ofmaterial.

Still another object is the provision of a container of this characterwherein a wall section left by removal of the tearing strip from thefolded section of the body, taken together with the flange 40 member,provide spaced flanges setting off an intervening pocket for sealingengagement over the top edge of the collar band when the cover is usedas a reclosure.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the 45 invention will beapparent as it is better understood from the following description,which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses apreferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

0 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tearing strip flanged coverproduced thereby and in separated relation to the opened can;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View similar to Figs. 2 and3 showing the flanged cover applied to the opened can and in use as areclosure; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2illustrating a modified form, of the invention.

The container or can illustrated in the drawing as a preferredembodiment of the invention comprises a tubular body II (Fig. 1) havinga bottom end I3 secured thereto in any suitable manner.

At the upper end of the can the body side wall is folded outwardly anddownwardly upon itself and then upward as in a double fold to provide afolded section or band I5 of triple thickness or layers of body materialextending around the body, as shown in Fig. 2. The two inner layers ofthe band form a smooth edged internal collar I which is surrounded bythe outer layer (designated by the numeral I'I) which is preferably setback flush with the body wall so that the exterior surface of the canwill be smooth and straight.

The outer layer I'I of the band I5 extends above the top edge of thecollar I5 and is folded back on itself providing an annular wall orflange member I9 which extends back from a fold or top edge 2| whichisflanged over in the usual manner and incorporated in. a suitable seam 22which permanently unites a can top end 23 with the body II. iI'he flangemember I9 extends down inside the body adjacent the inner surfaces ofthe outer wall I'I and the collar band I6, the member being bent 'as at24 to overlap the top edge of the collar band. The flange memberpreferably terminates adjacent the lower end of the collar band in aninwardly flared edge 25.

Spaced below the seam 22 in the outer layer I'I of the folded section I5are parallel score lines 21, 28 defining a tearing strip 29 extendingaround the body. One end of the tearing strip terminates in a tearingtongue 3l adapted for engagement by a key or other suitable tool forremoving the strip in the usual manner to open the container.

Removal of the tearing strip 29 produces a flanged can cover 32 (Fig. 3)which may now be lifted off the can to open the same. This coverincludes the can top 23, the flange member I9 and an upper wall section33 formed by removal of the tearing strip from the outer layer I1. Themember i9 which originally was a folded part of the body wall nowprovides a flange for the cover and is adapted to t within the collarband I6 utilizing th-e latter as a friction base when the cover is usedas a reclosure (Fig. 4). This form of cover ilange permits the use ofthe same ordinary can end for the top that is used for the bottominstead of a more expensive and special form of can top having frictionwalls formed therein.

The wall section 33 is adapted to engage the exterior surface of thecollar band, the upper edge of the latter being disposed in a pocket 34(Figs. 3 and 4) provided between the ange member I9 and the wall section33. The reclosure cover 32 is thus adapted to seat tightly over the topedge of the collar band to prevent accidental displacement of the coverand to protect the interior of the can against the entrance of foreignmatter.

Fig. 5 of the drawing discloses a modified form of the invention inwhich the folded section I5 is formed on the outside of the body toprovide a container having a straight internal wall instead of astraight external wall as illustrated in the other figures. In this formof container the inside layer of the collar band I6 is a continuation ofand is in alignment with the body wall II and at the top this wall isfolded outwardly and downwardly against the outside of the body to formthe outside wall of the collar band and is thence folded outwardly andupwardly to form the outer wall I l.

The outer layer Il embodying the tearing strip 29 extends above thecollar band i6 and is bent inwardly as at 36 to engage over the top ofthe collar and to align with the body wall II. The upper end of thelayer Il extends up into the top seam 22 where it merges into the fold2| and the flange member I9. In this form the flange member I9 extendsstraight down into the body and lays fiat against the inner surface ofthe body wall.

Removal of the tearing strip in the usual manner produces the flangedcover 32 in which the wall section 33 is again preferably present and inwhich the member I9 is again the inner fiange as described in connectionwith the straight external wall container of Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. Inlike manner this flange I9 is adapted to engage within the collar bandand the wall section 33 is adapted to engage the outside of the collarband in the same way when the cover is used as a reclosure. This form ofthe invention, like the form disclosed hereinbefore, permits the use ofthe same ordinary can end for the top that is used for the bottominstead of a more expensive and special form of can top having frictionwalls formed therein.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal container, comprising a body having a tearing stripformed in a side wall thereof, an internal collar band formed integrallywith said side wall, an end closure permanently joined to said body, andan annular flange member integrally formed with said body side wall andembraced in the seam connecting said end closure to said body, saidflange member providing a cover flange utilizing said collar band as afriction base for supporting the reclosure cover produced by removal ofsaid tearing strip.

2. A sheet metal container, comprising a tubular body having its sidewall folded to produce an outer layer, an inner flange member and aplurality of intermediate layers the outer layer and the inner flangemember projecting above the intermediate layers, a container top securedto said outer layer and said ange member, and score lines formed in saidouter layer and defining a tearing strip having a tearing tongue forremoving said tearing strip, the removal of said tearing strip producinga cover having connected thereto said flange member which was originallya part of said body side wall and which now serves as a ange for thecover and the flange utilizing said intermediate body layers as afriction base for holding said cover in place when it is used as areclosure.

3. A sheet metal container, comprising a tubular body having its sideWall folded to produce an outer layer, an inner fiang-e member and aplurality of intermediate layers, the outer layer and the inner iiangemember projecting above the intermediate layers the while preserving astraight external Wall to the body, a container top secured to saidouter layer and said ange member, and score lines formed in said outerlayer and dening a tearing strip which when removed leaves said flangemember connected with said top and which thereby produces a flange for areclosure cover the f'lange being adapted to frictionally engage saidintermediate body layers when the cover is in container closingposition.

4. A sheet metal container, comprising a tubular body having itssidewall folded to produce an outer layer, an inner iiange member and aplurality of intermediate layers the outer layer and the inner flangemember projecting above the intermediate layers the While preserving astraight internal wall to the body, a container top secured to saidouter layer and said flange member, and score lines formed in said outerlayer and defining a tearing strip which when removed leaves said flangemember connected with said top and which thereby produces a fiange for areclosure cover the flange being adapted to frictionally engage saidintermediate body layers when the cover is in container closingposition.

5. A sheet metal container, comprising a body having its side Wallformed into a plurality of layers providing an internal collar band forthe container, a tearing strip in the outer of said layers, an endclosure seamed to an extension of one of said layers, and an annularange member secured within said seam and extending into said bodyadjacent said collar band, said layer extension together with saidflange member providing spaced friction anges defining an interveningsealing pocket for the reclosure cover produced by the removal of saidtearing strip said spaced flanges being adapted to frictionally engagethe sides and receive an edge of said collar band for holding said coverin sealing engagement on the container when the cover is used as areclosure.

6. A sheet metal container, comprising a body having a multiplicity oflayers adjacent one end, a tearing strip defined by score lines in theouter of said layers, an end closure seamed to an extension of one ofsaid layers, said extension being continued into said seam and thenceback on itself depending from said seam adjacent said layers to form areclosure cover fiange on said end closure, the latter being produced byremoval of said tearing strip, said ange engaging within the innermostof said layers at one end of the body.

. JOHN M. HOTI-IERSALL.

